Publication Date: 2011-12-14
Effective immediately, prohibited marks that require public notice of their grant, recording or approval, or of their adoption and use, will appear on the Canadian Trademarks database upon filing. Files will also be open for public inspection.
Public notice is considered to be given by the Registrar when the particulars relative to the protected matter are advertised in the Trademarks Journal. Once public notice of the official marks has been given, they become prohibited marks and may not be adopted as trademarks.
This notice is intended to provide guidance on current Trade–marks Office practice and interpretation of relevant legislation. However, in the event of any inconsistency between this notice and the applicable legislation, the legislation must be followed.